Refrigerator



(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA P. KOONTZ, OF LIGONIER, INDIANA.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPIFIGATICN forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,963, dated .Tune 24,1890.

Application led September 1, 1888. Serial No. 284,3ti4. (No model..

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, EZRA I). KOONTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ligonier, in the county of Noble, State of Indiana, haveinvented certainnew and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of whichthe following is so full, clear, and exact a description as will enableothers skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a front view of my refrigerator with the Yfront removed andpartof the two Water-tanks broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsection on the line :c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of arefrigerator provided with but two tanks.

The object of my invention is to provide a refrigerator which shallcombine extensive cooling powers for a given amount of ice with aportable structure..

To this end I construct my refrigerator with a double casing, as shownin the drawings, in which A is the exterior casing provided withperforations at the bottom. (Shown at aC) Vithin this outer casing issituated an inner casing so placed as to leave a space C under and allaround the inner casing loetween it and the outer casing. This spaceChas a free opening all around at the top when :my refrigerator iscovered. I secure complete circulation over as well as under and aroundmy inner compartment by the following means:

The top or cover of my refrigerator is constructed as shown complete inFig. l, and in transverse section in Figs. 2 and 3. To the top piece A',which entirely covers my refrigerator, closing the air-space C, isattached the under piece B, which fits into and tightly closes the innercompartment inclosed by the casing B. Between these two parts of thecover I leave a space C', communicating with the air-space C by means ofthe three apertures b at the sides and back of the top. It will bereadily seen that by this arrangement the air will have free circulationentirely around the inner compartment, both in the vertical andhorizontal planes, as is Vshown by the arrows a.

Within the inner compartment I),I secure transverse supports S, whichserve to keep in place the ice and water tanks E, F, and G, as well asthe provision-trays M.

As can be seen in the drawings, my refrigerator is provided with aplurality of tanks.

and I lead from the bottom of the ice-tank E. The longer pipe I extendspast the back of the drinking-water tank F, as shown in Fig. 2, to apoint directly above the wastewater tank G. The shorter pipe J leadsdirectly into the drinking-water tank, and the iiow of water from' themelting ice into the tank F keeps the water therein constantly cold. Apipe K leads from a point near the top of the tank F into the tank G andserves as an overflow to the tank F. A similar pipe is attached to thetank G, as shown at L, and serves asimilar purpose for said tank G. Thispipe L is shown in the drawings as situated directly beneath the pipe I;but it is evident that it may be prolonged upward and connect with thepipe I, as shown in Fig. 3, thus forming a continuous pipe, the tank Gbeing entirely dispensed with without departing from the spirit of myinvention. It is also clear that the tank F may be used as asupplementary ice-tank, instead of a water-cooler, or that all threetanks may be placed in any part of the compartment D without materiallydeparting from the spirit of my invention.

At c, c', and c are shown perforations at the top and bottom,respectively, of the inner casing D, which provide means ofcommunication between the inner compartment D and the air-space C. Theseperforations are not, of course, limited as regards sizeand number.Supposing now the tank E to have been filled with ice and the tank Ffilled with water up to a proper level, the cooling of the air directlyaround tank E will set up a current throughout the whole refrigerator,which will follow a pat-h conforming more or less to the IOOgeneraldirections indicated by the arrow d in Fig. l. This cold airbeing heavier than the warmer air will take a downward course along thatside of the refrigerator upon which the tanks are situated. This willnecessitate an upward course of the warmer air upon the other side, andas more air is cooled it will drive out the warmer air through theapertures c and into the air-space C. The cooler part of the currenthaving made its exit through the apertures c near the bottom of therefrigerator, will take a downward course and sink through the aperturesa in the bottom of the outer casing. The warmer portions of the currentwill pass out through the perfor-ations c and tend to ascend through theair-passage C and to cross the top of the refrigerator through theperforations b and into that side of the air-space next the ice andwater tanks. The walls being naturally at a lower temperature at thispoint of the refrigerator, will cool the air as it rises at this pointand facilitate its downward movement, thus completing the circuit to theapertures a at the bottom of the outer casing.

It is evident that a great advantage is gained by the provision of awaste-water tank within the refrigerator and directly in the line ofdownward movement of the cooling-air. Both this waste-water tank and thedrinking-water tank being filled with water at practically the sametemperature as the ice itself provide three times as great cooling-Asurface for a given quantitybf ice without the disadvantage of beingobliged to spread this ice over a greater space. In the ordinary formsof refrigerators the cooling properties of the drip from the ice arelost, inasmuch as it is generally led away directly into the sewer or iscaught in a vessel placed beneath the refrigerator. To facilitate theformation of this cold-air current, perforations may be provided uponthat sider of t-he icetank next the provision-trays M; but theseperforations not being absolutely necessary are not shownherein.

It will often be advantageous to use the tank F for holding beveragesother than water, such as milk, buttermilk, or cider. For this purposeit would of course be inconvenient to allow the tank E to overflow intothe tank F, as the water would dilute whatever liquid was being storedin the tank below. In such a case, then, a stopper should be used, whichstopper I have provided7 as The most convenient form of shown at J.stopper would of course be a cock,buta cork will serve'the purpose justas well; and I have shown both forms in the drawings. (See Fig. 2.) Thisstopper will also prove of advantage in the winter-time, when, althoughice may be desired to preserve provisions, it is not found pleasant todrink ice-water.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the exactconstruction shown and described hereinabove, as many of the minor idetails may be altered without materially departing from the spirit ofmy invention. For instance, the waste-tank might be dispensed with, orthe tank F might be used as a sup- Eplementary ice-tank, or all thetanks might by Letters Patent, and what I therefore'claim,

1. In a refrigerator, an inner compartment containing an ice-tank,drinking-water tank, and waste-water tank, in combination with a pipeleading from the bottom of the ice-tank to the waste-water tank, a pipeleading from the bottom of the ice-tank to the drinkingwater tank, anoverliow-pipe extending from y the drinking to the wastewater tank, andan overliow-pipe leading out of the waste-water tank, all substantiallyas and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. In a refrigerator, a plurality of tanks, one of which is designed tocontain ice, and is located immediately above another which is designedto contain drinking-water, milk, or other fluids, in combination with apipe connecting said tanks, means, substantially as described, forclosing said pipe when the under tank contains a fluid other than water,and means, substantially as described, at the opposite side of saidice-tank extending therefrom to a point outside the refrigerator,serving to carry off the waste water.

In testimony whereof I afIiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

EZRA r. KooNTz.

Vitnesses:

J. D. HOLLAND, J. A. RICE.

IOO

